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Before/After: Church Street Residence by Division1 Architects

By Eric Meunier

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Washington DC-based studio Division1 Architects has recently completely remodeled from top to bottom a townhouse in Dupont Circle, an historic district in Northwest Washington DC, USA.

This is the first residential project in DC to have been issued a permit for gray water.

The project also incorporates rain water system, radiant flooring, solar panels and Geo-thermal.

Church Street Residence by Division1 Architects:

“This early 20th century row home located in the historic Dupont Circle neighborhood was transformed from a series of fragmented rooms into an open, flexible plan, incorporating ample daylighting and an abundance of sustainable design solutions. This open expression carries into the design of the home sectionally, where spaces overlap and skylights are carved out, allowing light to move in multiple directions throughout the entirety of the house. The main floor contains continuous living, kitchen and dining spaces, in addition to a full bath. A large operable sliding door offers the option of privacy and permits the addition of a bedroom at the rear of that level, which then terminates into a full glazing wall and balcony. The dining and kitchen areas are situated in a double height space, opening up what was once a dimly lit and cramped space to white walls washed with sunlight.

The second floor contains two large bedrooms, each with a a full bath, connected by a bridge which traverses across the grand double height space below. One can move further up still to a third floor office space and then onto an occupiable roof that overlooks the photovoltaic system of the house that sits to the rear. The cellar lever contains its own generous entryway, back patio, two bedrooms, bathroom, living and kitchen areas.

Aside from the intelligent programing and re-partitioning of the home in both plan and section, the house is filled with sophisticated sustainable technologies aimed at maintaining a clean, minimal aesthetic while also minimizing waste. The home is uses contemporary German techniques for passive cooling and ventilation, in addition to the implementation of a highly robust insulation system, both dramatically reducing energy use. Responsible expenditure of water is facilitated by both an internal gray water recycling system and an irrigation system on the roof, which captures and reuses exterior run-off for watering vegetation in and around the home. A combination of a geo-exchange HVAC system and radiant floor heating maintains a high degree of thermal comfort with little energy use and all lighting and plumbing fixtures were specified for their sensitivity to reducing waste without sacrificing quality. Finally, a photo-voltaic array captures solar energy that is used to power many of the home’s appliances.”

Front before/after

 

Back Before/After

 

Photos by: Debi Fox Photography

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About Eric Meunier

Currently the Owner and Chief Executive of HODYO Design, Eric Meunier's expertise in the design industry spreads over 20 years. He was the driving force behind HomeDSGN's early success, founding this website in 2011. Today, he loves to channel his passion for design into remodeling houses and transforming interior spaces with his keen eye for detail and architectural finesse. Learn more about HomeDSGN's Editorial Process.

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